East Coast
by Silver Skyline
Summary: Mia; the daughter of a wolf-queen and a hybrid psychopath. She's spent most of her life raised by Klaus' protege. Once the Mikaelson's find out about the young witch they come flooding back to New Orleans. Why did they leave in the first place? It's the begining of a war, who will end up with the all powerful witch?
1. East Coast

I kind of had this idea rattling around in my mind and of course instead of studying for my Child Development class at three in the morning I decided to start writing this; Procrastination at its finest ladies and gentleman.

I know it's been too long since I had last updated my other stories and I feel terrible. I'm just trying to figure out where the hell I was going with them.

I don't know if I'll continue it, let me know what you guys think. What'd you guys think of this one?

So, don't forget to tell me what you guys think! Comments, critiques, questions (all loved and gladly appreciated).

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE(S):**

_Next Chapter?_ Rebecca runs into Mia; Marcel and Klaus faceoff and he threatens the Mikaelson's to leave town.  
_Question:_ Would you guys like me to continue?

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It was spring; the moment when the world was beginning to inch off their winter shells and allowing the rays to lure them steadily back to life. The soft hum of jazz music filled the airwaves; windowpanes were finally thrown open to invite the sweet melodies that made New Orleans home. Roaring voices from the city sidewalks below her window forced the raven haired beauty to slither onto her arms, a tender smile couldn't help but creep onto her lips. Roaring voices from the city sidewalks below her window forced the raven haired beauty to slither onto her arms, a tender smile couldn't help but creep onto her lips. That time of year was right around the corner, the Harvest, the time when the ancestors gave their tender counterparts the encouragement they needed to fully accept the gift they had been given through the forces of nature.

Her fingertips danced across the satin robe as she pulled the tassels tightly around her frame. It was her favorite day of the week Saturday or as she had grown to lovingly call it, _lazy Saturday_. Loosely coiling her tresses into a messy topknot she made sure to inch gently down the row of stairs, cautious not to wake her slumbering caretaker. Coming to the end of the winding stairs the young girl released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding the entire time. Dancing from cupboard to cupboard she created a localized mess of various fruits, loaves of bread, dishes, knives and juice in the center of the marble countertop. Chopping up some berries and a few kiwis she tossed them into a small ceramic bowl as she waited from her sourdough bagel to get toasted. She grabbed the pitcher of orange juice before making her way into the patio, looking over her shoulder she made a mental note to scrub down her mess after finishing her breakfast.

Looking down at her plate of food the young witch shut her eyes tightly and thanked the ancestors for giving her yet another day of life. As she was about to take a bite of her lightly coated bagel a husky voice reprimanded her gently, "Since when do people in this house have breakfast alone?" The stern look across his face lasted no more than a second before vanishing behind his familiar smile.

"I didn't want to wake you, I heard you come in pretty late yesterday." Tossing a blueberry into her mouth the young witch slid the bowl of fruit into the center of the table inviting the much older male to help himself to her food.

"Yeah, I had some things I needed to take care of."

"Is everything okay?"

The vampire couldn't help but laugh slightly at the look across the girl's face. Pulling out the opposing chair he placed the ceramic bowl in front of him as he helped himself to the fruit. "Aren't _I _supposed to be the parent? I'm the one that's supposed to be keeping tabs on _you_, like who that wolf boy was who walked you back home yesterday."

"You already know who it was." Mia tossed a fragment of her bagel to his chest and laughed. "You know, the wolf boy who's been my friend since I was five."

For a moment neither of them spoke, the airy atmosphere that had been there seconds before was slowly dissipating. It made the young girl uncomfortable; looking down at the few remnants of bread that were left on her plate she began twirling them around across the plate. "Have you talked to the French quarter witches about the harvest?" His soft voice finally broke the silence. "Yeah, I have. I mean I'm a little scared but it's going to be fine…" _A little scared_ was an understatement, she was petrified. She knew that nothing earth shattering or cataclysmic ever occurred, every girl was always brought back the ancestors made sure of it but what if she didn't come back? What if she just died and was unable to make her way back? The young witch tried to hush those negative voices because they only served to cause her slender frame to tremble.

She watched as her fatherly figure quickly averted his gaze above her left shoulder, someone was coming, one of his errand boys to deliver a message the old vampire had been anticipating. Mia watched intently in an attempt to decipher what was going on but the young messenger wasn't very clever she watched as be mouth the word _Mikaelson_'s below his breath. _Mikaelson? _The word sounded so familiar yet she couldn't decipher from where she'd heard it before. It was weird seeing how that name had caused Marcel to be so angry, he had attempted to keep his emotions at bay but the young witch saw right through it.

"I'm guessing this means you're going to have your breakfast to-go?" He didn't bother answering her back, instead the vampire's train of thought was quickly averted by a loud voice calling him from the hall, "Marcel!" Diego didn't utter another word; instead he signaled that it was time for them to leave.

Marcel quickly slid out of the chair and tapped onto the table a few times before turning his attention to Mia, "I'll be back later." He made sure to avoid Mia's golden hues, every time he looked at her all he saw was the little girl they'd found in the woods that night. The small child was at the center of a massacre, her small cries the only sign of life that echoed against the course shrubbery. She had looked at him, her small orbs begging that he give her an opportunity to live, pleading that he take her away from all the hurt she had managed to experience in the few hours she had been on this earth.

"Okay?" She shook her head slightly before sliding the small bowl in front of her once more. Something didn't feel right, it wasn't like Marcel or his vampire buddies to be so secretive especially not around her. She kept her eyes on him, watching as his figure slowly melted into the depths of the corridor. _Mikaelson…_ The young witch made a mental note to ask Sophie who those people were and why the mention of that name had made Marcel uneasy.


	2. Buried My Love

I really hope you guys are enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it!  
This chapter kind of came along together a lot faster than the first, maybe it's because of my lack of motivation to study for the midterm I have tomorrow lol.  
I was debating whether or not to have a schedules day that I update this story or just post whenever I finish the chapters. What do you guys think?  
I decided to make this chapter slightly longer than the first one. I felt like I could dive a little bit more into the characters in this one.  
I have a faint idea of where I want this to go but I love to hear feedback from you guys and seeing where you guys would like for this to go or what you'd like to see.

* * *

**Authors Note(s):**

_Next Chapter? Klaus and Marcel have a heated exchange (I was going to include that in this chapter but I was starting to think it was getting a little too long)  
Notes: _Don't forget to tell me what you guys think! Comments, critiques, questions (all loved and gladly appreciated).

* * *

**East Coast**

I'm a castaway, men reap what they sow  
& I say what I know to be true  
Yeah I'm living far away on the face of the moon  
I buried my love to give the world to you

* * *

A mixture of emotions were rattling through her slender frame, the nervousness of the upcoming Harvest and the sense of anxiousness that came every time the word Mikaelson echoed in her mind. The name continued bouncing around the young witches head. Those three syllables haunted the depths of her mind and she was unsure why. She knew it was a person, but is it _a first name…a last name? What the hell does Mikaelson even mean? Names are supposed to have meanings right?_ Biting her bottom lip the raven beauty attempted to push the thoughts to the back of her mind. There was a pang of hurt that constrained the vessels in her heart, _why does this hurt so badly?_ It was like her subconscious new something that she didn't; it was like the wind was knocked out of her frame whenever the word entered her mind.

"Just focus on the pretty dresses…focus." She never thought there would come a day when she would need to force herself to look at clothing. She had been putting off dress shopping for weeks; I mean what is a girl supposed to wear to a sacrifice? Shoving her hands into the pockets of her olive green jacket she could feel the cold glass surface of her cell phone. She pulled out the phone and quickly scrolled to the bottom of her contacts list, the dial tone rang against her left ear as she tapped her feet impatiently against the wooden floor. "Hey…it's me, Mia…being in this store is starting to make me feel uncomfortable…." Mia let out a struggled laugh as she lowered her gaze onto the floor, "umm…just get here as soon as you can Soph." Her thumb skimmed against the surface as she allowed the phone to fall into her pocket. _I should just go home._ Being inside that store reminded Mia of all the things she was missing. Life was funny that way; it had the tendency of whispering all the things you didn't have instead of reminding you of how great your life truly was.

In that moment all she saw was a collection of girl s running around the store with their mother by their side. The way they smiled, their tender laughter as the stepped out of the dressing room shoved a dagger through the young witch's heart. She had always wondered why her mother left her that day in the middle of the woods. She had always wondered who her father was…what was his name? Did she look like them? Did she have her mother's smile? Mia shook her head slightly and hushed the hurtful voices that reminded her of just how pathetic she was. "That dress is beautiful." Mia was taken out of the trance she had unknowingly fallen into by the peculiar voice of a blonde haired woman.

"Umm…what?" The young witch smiled faintly. She was used to people coming up to her and striking up a random conversation. Strangers always told her that she reminded them of someone they knew; she had grown to love that about herself. She radiated warmth that set everyone at ease. Had today been any other day she would have gladly welcomed the conversation but at that moment all she wanted was to run out of that constricting prison. _Where the hell are you Sophie?_

"The dress…." The blonde beauty pointed at the black chiffon dress that Mia had unknowingly grabbed off one of the rack. "…it's really pretty."

"Oh...right. Yeah it's nice. I just don't think it's me." Looking down at the dress she skimmed her fingertips across the delicately embroidered detail around the waist of the dress. She could hear Marcel's laughter ringing in her ear as he smiled lovingly, watching her twirl around the bedroom, the billowing skirt dancing off the floor with her every movement. Her raven tresses would be curled loosely in a manner that said that she had simply controlled the chaos that was her bed head every morning. On top of her head would be her favorite golden headband, a delicate string of small pearls and golden beads that always seemed to take the anxiety away. She was half gypsy half witch, she liked being different. She liked the fact that she may not always look the part of a put together, all-powerful witch. It was nice to take off the mask she had to put on everyday and just be herself: the fun loving flower child that danced way too much, sang too loudly and felt too strongly with that broken heart of hers.

Setting the garment back on the rack Mia shrugged her shoulders, "I don't think it's for me." It was her in every sense of the word, if you had looked through the witch's closet you would have believed the dress had been sitting there waiting to be worn by her. She just couldn't bring herself to commit to the dress or any dress for that matter. It was like the moment she decided what to wear then the Harvest would actually become real, until then she could go on pretending that it was all just a figment of her imagination.

"If you want I can help you find something else." Mia looked at the woman standing before her, a puzzled look forming across her face. _Why is she being so nice to me?_ The blonde beauty didn't look like she belonged there; for one she wore black leather pants, a grey Henley that had the first three buttons unclasped and her hair was a coordinated mess of day-old curls. Her eyes were a darkened shade of blue, the black flecks consuming any gentleness they may have ever possessed but in that moment they looked at her with a sense of hope. It was like the woman had found something she had long believed to be lost forever. It made the young with feel uneasy, it made her feel unbalanced. This was the third time when she felt like she wasn't in control and it was annoying not understanding what was happening. Her body felt a surge of blood flowing through her body and something told her that it was best to just leave, she _needed_ to leave.

"That's fine. I think I'm just gonna go look for my friend Sophie, she should have been here by now." The moment the cool evening air tapped her cheeks she could feel herself come to life once more. _What's happening to me?_ She needed to find Sophie, she someone to tell her what was happening to her. _I'm probably just getting the whole Harvest thing get to me…that's probably it…_Allowing a sigh to escape from her parted lips Mia looked around the densely lined streets as she attempted to remember where Sophie's restaurant was located.

* * *

The old Mikaelson estate: It looked just as it had when they had been forced to flee New Orleans nearly sixteen years ago. If she closed her eyes tightly enough the blonde vampire could hear the cries of the small child that had been born within those aged walls of the large mansion. Those small cries were something she had been unable to forget. Vampires weren't supposed to feel or at least she had long lost the ability to feel mostly because of the psychotic brother who enjoyed taking anything she ever held dear to her heart. The night the small creature had been born she had actually believed that things might be different, that her family would finally be able experience happiness but she had been wrong. Her worst dreams had come true that night instead of brining her family closer that night only served to drive them farther apart.

Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear Rebecca ventured into the living room, the clicking of her heels bouncing off of the freshly waxed wooden floor. "I saw her." She tossed her black Chanel purse lazily onto the coffee table. Upon seeing the lack of response she slammed her hand against the bookshelf that was only inches away. "I saw her." She repeated once more this time with a tone of annoyance behind her words.

Her oldest brother sat at opposite the red oak coffee table, his fingertips dancing across the grey surface of the morning's newspaper. If anyone had walked in at that very moment they would have actually looked like a civilized family. _Civilized, _they were far from that. They hadn't been civilized since they had been turned into vampires by their mother centuries ago. "Who did you see Rebecca?" Elijah's voice was monotonous; it was like he only bothered to answer his sister to prevent her from breaking any of the newly purchased furniture.

The youngest sibling was beginning to grow rather irritated by the lack luster response she was receiving from her brother. She didn't understand how he could be sitting there so calmly after she'd just told him that she'd found the one person they had been scouring the earth for nearly a decade. This hadn't been her idea; the notion of coming back to New Orleans hadn't sat well with the blonde vampire. She loathed this town; it only served to remind her of all the things she had lost because of Niklaus, but of course it had only take one call from her eldest brother to make her a part of the Scooby-gang once more. Apparently, there was something or someone in New Orleans that was Niklaus' redemption. At first she had thought that this was all some stupid ploy of Elijah's to reconnect their shattered family and in a way it _was _that, it was exactly that. "I saw Mia."

"Is that name supposed to mean something to us sister?" Klaus' raspy voice bounced against the surface of Rebecca's ears forcing her to turn in his direction with an annoyed look plastered across her face.

"It bloody well should. She's the reason we're back in this hell hole." Rebecca cocked her head to the side waiting for her brother's to finally put two and two together.

Elijah tossed the newspaper onto the coffee table and locked his golden hues with his baby sister. He attempted to find even the faintest sign that she was lying to them, but she wasn't. A small smile formed across his lips as he finally allowed the words to settle in his mind. _Mia…_ that was the name of the tender child he had hoped would save his brother's heart from eternal bitterness. "Where did you see her?"

"I was on my way here and I decided to stop by one of the dress shops in the French quarter. When I went inside I saw-"

Before the youngest sibling was able to even finish her thought she was caught off by the cold tone behind Klaus' voice, "I'm in no mood to hear about your latest shopping adventure. How do you know it was her?" His brother's orbs were black; there had been a time when they would have expressed tenderness upon hearing that his child was alive but now they were nothing more than indifferent. This was not the first time Elijah had taken it upon himself to find the youngest member of the Mikaelson family but over the years the hope of ever finding her had quickly dissipated. All these cross country searches had done was create a small flicker of hope within the ruthless hybrid that was quickly drowned by the depths of a whiskey glass whenever the leads had ended up being dead ends.

"Because she looks like a Mikaelson." Rebecca didn't feel the need to explain herself.

"What the hell does that even mean Rebecca?"

She hated the way Klaus said her name, it always sent a child down her spine. Every time he uttered her name it was quickly followed by her being rammed against a wall or a dagger being lodged through her body. It was like she had come accustomed to expect the blow of his limited temperament. "She looks like you Niklaus…and Hayley. She has gentle eyes, raven hair and by the talk of the town she's one of the most powerful witches this town has seen in a long time." Looking over at Klaus she has expected him to say something, anything but there was simply silence dripping from the walls.

His eyes were plastered across the fields of apple tress that lined that countless acres behind their home. He didn't bother reminding his sister that simply because she _looked_ like a Mikaelson didn't mean a damn thing. This wasn't the first time the blonde vampire had believed they'd found her niece only to be disappointed by the fact that she was just another average witch. His daughter was no average witch; the countless children they had come to encounter during the years had never been anything special. He knew this was not his child; it had been far too easy. It made no sense that they would come back to New Orleans and even before the last boxes have been unpacked they had managed to find his child. He knew his sister was susceptible to the ridiculous but this was too much for the hybrid. Shaking his head he took a bottle of whiskey from the bar as he swiftly made his way to the front entrance of the house. "While you and Elijah rejoice at the stupidity of having so easily found your supposed niece I'm going to pay Marcel a little visit."


	3. Like A Dream

I really hope you guys are enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it!  
This chapter is a lot longer than my other two. Do you guys like the chapters being longer or should I keep them a bit shorter?  
I hope the jumping around of this chapter isn't too confusing for you guys!  
Thanks for all your feedback! I've really enjoyed seeing your guys' comments!  
If there's anything you'd like to see in the story let me know.

* * *

**Authors Note(s):**

_Next Chapter? Mia has a little run in with one of the Originals. Which one though…..?  
Notes: _Don't forget to tell me what you guys think! Comments, critiques, questions (all loved and gladly appreciated).

* * *

**libsrocks**: I don't mind you pointing that out to me. I'll make sure to pay attention to my spelling on the next chapters I write. I'm really glad you've been enjoying the story so far!

**dragonfly345:** No my story isn't following the storyline on the show. In my story Hayley and Klaus had already had the baby and something happened when she was born that kind of set New Orleans on edge which led to Mia being abandoned, the original feeling New Orleans and Hayley being MIA. (I'll explain what happened to Hayley in the next couple of chapters!)

* * *

**East Coast**

Not even they can stop me now  
Boy I'd be flying overhead, their heavy words can't bring me down  
Boy I've been raised from the dead  
No one even knows how hard life was  
I don't even think about it now because I've finally found you  
Now my life is sweet like cinnamon,  
Like a fucking dream I'm living in

* * *

_She was his._ It was a weird notion; the possession of another person had always seemed like such an absurd idea. It was ridiculous to think that one human could own another but from the moment he had seen her in the woods he knew that she would always belong to him. It wasn't the type of possession that involved locking the person you claimed to love in a stone tower for fear of someone snatching them away. It was a type of possession that made your blood pressure reach an all time high when it was an hour past curfew and they had yet to come home, the type of possession that had a man running around the endless corridors of his home to get the fever-ridden child to sleep. Possession was about giving those you love the opportunity to leave and letting them know that they would always have a home.

Marcel stood inches away from the windowsill, the various hues from the stain glassed beating down on his pain stricken face. _Mikaelson…_ The mere idea of uttering the name produced a bitter taste across his tongue. Digging his hands in his jean pockets he couldn't help but wonder what had caused the original family to come back to New Orleans. No one in the French Quarter would have dared tell outsiders of who the raven haired witch truly was. Mia had always been the only thing keeping the peace between the creatures that made Louisiana their home. Wolves were allowed to roam the day and commiserate with their vampire counterparts, witches practiced magic freely and carried out their traditions without his interference and all he had asked…all he had _forced_ them to do was to keep Mia safe.

_She was his. _He could hear a pair of faint footsteps growing louder with each second that passed, their echoes causing Marcel to clench his hand into a fist. Marcel's anger grew along with the rhythmic clacking that danced against the tiled floor. "What do you want Klaus?" He wasn't going to let them take her away from him that easily. She was his family and the one thing you never do is allow someone to come into your home and take away your family. Mia was no longer a Mikaelson, she had never truly been one except for the few seconds she may have spent in their arms before having been thrown into the woods to fend for herself.

"I was just about to ask you the exact same thing. What do you want with _my_ child?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about. Is that why you ran back into town because you think someone here has your kid? You must be out of your damn mind." Marcel maintained his gaze locked on the image of the Holy Father upon the cross, his eyes burning from the sun that shone directly into his hues. Klaus' last phrase played over and over in his mind, _his child…his child,_ taunting the vampire, reminding him that no matter how hard he tried to convince himself Mia would never truly be his.

Klaus allowed a mug smile to dance across his lips. Maybe Rebekah was right, maybe his child was hiding somewhere in this town but even if she wasn't, seeing Marcel squirm like a mouse with a magnifying glass radiating the sun's intensity against its skin provided the original with some much needed amusement. "Elijah seems to think you may know more than you're letting on."

"Last I heard that kid of yours got ripped to shreds by your little wolf clan."

Klaus sat down lazily in one of the pews, "Come now Marcel, your little witches must know something if not why does it seem that everyone in town has been running to find you."

Marcel shook his head, allowing his fingers to tap against the windowsill before finally allowing himself to face his old friend. "This ain't your home anymore Klaus so why don't you take your family and get the hell out of my town. I'll have some of my boys go over and help you pack up your things." Two men stepped out from behind the shadows; they nodded simply telling Marcel they knew what they had to do. They made their way beside the hybrid and motioned that it was time for him to leave.

"You have other people do your dirty work for you know?" Klaus couldn't help but laugh as he looked at the two vampires. He could smell the immaturity on their skin; they were like cars that had just been driven off the lot, the new car smell was pungent across their frames. "Are you forgetting who I am? I can rip their hearts out before they have the chance to blink."

Marcel didn't bother to answer back, his muscles were tired and looking at Klaus only served to intensify the urge he felt of throwing him against the nearest wall and watching him bleed to death. "I think you're forgetting who _I_ am. This is _my _town. You think you can come back here, bring up old shit and no one is going to do anything? You start hurting my people and you're going to wish_ you_ could die…" Marcel inched towards the hybrid, their faces merely centimeters apart and he couldn't help but wish in that very moment that he weren't immortal. "…friend."

Marcel's words skimmed across the hybrid's chin, he took a step in reverse and allowed his gaze to fall onto the floor. For a moment the church was still as Klaus contemplated the best way to make Marcel understand that he was playing house in a home that was never his. In a matter of seconds his hands were sunk deeply in the frames of the two vampires that had been standing beside him. Feeling their still beating hearts in his hand caused the original to smile, "Where is she?"His nails dug into the cardiac muscle, with every movement of his hands the constriction caused the blood to pulse against his fingertips.

"I'm going to ask you once more before I paint the walls with their blood. Where…is…she?" Cocking his head to the side Klaus' blackened orbs locked intently against the man he had once raised as his own. His features softened for a moment, disguising the ruthlessness that constantly flowed through his bones. He counted silently in his head; every second that passed was another centimeter that his hand dug into the beating muscle. Realizing that Marcel wasn't going to entertain him with what he wanted to know the childlike appearance that had been painted against his face melted away as he thrusted the men's hearts onto the floor. "Where is she Marcel!"

A sharp metallic smell filled Marcel's senses, lifting the back of his hand to his face he wiped away the stream of blood that had fallen onto his cheek. His nostrils flared as the smell of his fallen comrades teased his senses. Marcel closed the distance between them, the blood in his veins pulsating against the surface of his skin. "She's dead. You killed her remember?" In a single stroke his arms abruptly crashed against the hybrids chest, flinging him against the adjacent wall.

Klaus collapsed against the white pillar, pulling his feet beneath his slender frame he made an attempt to rise to his feet but instead allowed himself to melt beneath the weight. "She's here isn't she?" Klaus parted his legs slightly, allowing his hands to fall on either side of his knees. _She was in New Orleans…She was in New Orleans…_ The image of every person that had lived in the Quarter during his stay nearly two decades ago flashed through his mind. He had come across each one of them during the first hours of his return to town and had take it upon himself to memorize the names and faces of all the people their descendents. Yet there had been one person he hadn't been able to pinpoint a lineage for, the small raven haired girl that his youngest sister had called an _all powerful witch_.

Maybe Rebekah wasn't completely useless after all, he had been reluctant to bring his sister back to New Orleans she always had a tendency of siding with the enemy. This time she actually seemed to be useful, she had ended up finding the child they had spent nearly sixteen years looking for. They'd visited countless witches, killed thousands of vampires and his sister had stumbled upon his child by chance at a random dress store and the irony behind that made caused Klaus release a soft laugh. "She's that little witch girl?" Upon Marcel's lack of a response the original knew that he had hit the nail on the head. The young witch was the child he had spent years looking for, _his_ child. "Interesting name you gave her…Mia?"

Hearing the name escape Klaus' lips caused the vampire's stomach to churn. He hated the way it sounded across his lips. The name was poisoned when uttered by the hybrid. _Mia.._She was gentle, kind and warm with orbs the color of daisies, she was not a monster yet when Klaus whispered her name that was what it sounded like. He took away all kindness behind the name and turned it into a concentrated dose of venom. "You touch a single hair on her head and I will-"

Klaus' menacing laugh echoed against the church walls, "You'll what? Kill me?" He slid slowly to his feet and brought his slender digits to his lips to wipe away the trickle of blood that had formed.

A tight hold gripped itself around Klaus's upper arm, pinning his body against the white pillar once more. The loud creak of the churches foundation rang in the air along with the rough cough of the hybrid. "You're going to have to kill every last person in this town before I let you come near her."

"I think you're forgetting mate that killing is the thing I'm good at." In an instant the two men were now on opposite sides of the pillar. Klaus tightened his porcelain hands against the base of Marcel's neck, pushing him deeper against the cold white surface. "How long do you think you can keep her hidden? She's bound to be by herself at some point and when she is I'll finally bring her home."

It took more energy than Marcel would have liked to push the original off of his frame, he expected to hear the loud crash of his frame against the dust covered floor but instead he was greeted with silence. Scanning around the church he listened intently to the even the faintest hints of which angle Klaus was going to attempt to attack him from. "It's just like you, running the hell away when shit gets difficult. You would have ended up raising a coward!"

* * *

Time was inching by slowly. The warm Louisiana sun shone down against the young witches golden skin fueling the nervousness she felt. Standing just outside the restaurant Mia couldn't bring herself to push the swinging doors open. Her digits slid down the cold glass as she dug into her jacket pockets for her cell phone. It was 2:15 in the afternoon, she had left the confines of her home nearly an hour ago yet it felt like an eternity. At first the young witch had believed that her nervousness was because of the Harvest, that the fear of not being brought back was getting to her but she was starting to think that maybe there was more to it. Sliding her index finger across the surface of her phone she allowed a smile to form across her lips, the image that greeted her golden orbs was of her and Marcel. But the smile didn't last for more than a few seconds before it was overtaken by a deep sense of worry.

She was nervous because of him. She was fearful that something was going to happen. Her fears were based on nothing more than the feeling of a knot in the pit of her stomach. It was ridiculous to think that he could be in danger. _In danger from what though?_ Growing up New Orleans had always been a place where she felt the most protected, the most at home. But she couldn't let the feeling go. She needed to find him.

Anxiousness nibbled at her the entire length of her walk back home. She tried to hush the feeling but the entire time she could hear whispers in the back of her mind telling her that Marcel needed help. She was a worrier; it was one of the many flaws the raven beauty had. Sometimes her worrying ended up getting her in trouble but she needed to make sure he was safe; he was the only family she had.

Rummaging through the drawers of her dresser Mia attempted to remember where she had left her grimoir. _Where the hell is it? I left it here…where is it!_ Pulling out the dresser drawers entirely she tossed them into a pile. _Where is it?_ Running her golden digits through the sea of waves that cascaded down her back she began to pace around the room until her orbs fell onto the weathered cover of the spell book. "Wow, really?" Shaking her head and allowing a small smirk to form across her lips she retrieved the book from the corner of the room. Mia flipped through the aged pages frantically before coming to the spell she needed.

A slender needle dove beneath the surface of her skin, forming a small stream of crimson liquid that she allowed to fall onto the map she had splayed across her bed. Her golden hands hovered over the surface of the map, beneath her breath she began chanting the series of phrases she had memorized. The fluid slithered slowly across the map before coming to a halt. He was at the church. Refolding the map and tossing it into the waste basket Mia quickly ran down the maze of stairs.

* * *

Walking to the middle of the church Marcel slipped his hands out of the black jacket he had been wearing and tossed it onto the floor. He began pacing repeatedly, taking into his possession one of the long slender metal candle holders that were used during the church procession. His feet came to a halt when he felt a cool breeze stroke the base of his neck, tightening his hold against the metal object like a hunter about to ravish his latest kill Marcel waited patiently. Allowing his senses to intensify he could almost see where Klaus was hiding and before his mind was able to register what was occurring he drove the metal contraption through the hybrid's chest. Looking into Klaus' eye he allowed a smirk to form as he drove the spear-like object deeper and deeper into his chest cavity. "You're pathetic."

Blood was collecting in his mouth, the metallic taste of life's essence caused veins to begin forming beneath Klaus' orbs. Pulling the metal object with several pulls he allowed it to fall onto the ground with a large thump. He was done putting up with Marcel, he wanted to play games, he wanted to inflict pain then pain was what he was going to get. "I'm going to find her and then I'm going to make you watch as your entire fantasy world falls apart." Taking Marcel by the throat he slammed him onto the floor, the pathetic look across Marcel's face a clear sign that the years had only served to make him softer. "She is not yours; she is not your family. You think that by playing house and taking what is rightfully mine you'll be able to have a home? None of this is yours! It's mine! I built this! She has my blood not yours." Brining the back of his hands towards his lips he wiped away the traces of his own blood that had begun dripping down his neck. "_You're_ pathetic."

It was almost reflexive, his hands found their way to the depths of Marcel's chest. The flowing of blood against his hands produced a bitter taste across his tongue. He had thought he'd enjoy seeing his old friend defeated, crumbled on the floor but instead of feeling accomplished he felt like it wasn't a victory. It wouldn't be an actual win until he took everything away from the man who had shattered his own life into pieces. "Now, I'm going to ask you one last time before I rip your heart out of your chest. Where is she?"

"Go to hell." The lack of air was beginning to take a toll; it was a struggle to utter those three small words. Feeling the beat of his heart dropping with every second that passed he attempted to throw the original onto the floor but his body failed to produce any movement. His mind and body were at a disconnect, it was like his brain wanted him to continue fighting but his body had given up all hope.

The unexpected feeling of his heart coming back to life forced Marcel to roll onto his side. Klaus had turned his gaze towards the entrance of the church, he didn't understand what had caught his attention, at least not until he heard her fiery voice, "Get off of him!"

Standing there, seeing Marcel in a pool of his own blood confirmed that she hadn't been crazy. It took every ounce of strength for Mia not to scream and run over to the man who had raised her. Lifting her hand the raven haired beauty tossed the wooden pews to a single corner of the church. "Who the hell are you?" Mia didn't understand what was happening, she didn't recognize the blonde haired man who moments before had been hovering over Marcel. Locking her golden orbs with the strange man she repeated her previous question once more, "Who the hell are you?"

Keeping her gaze locked onto the strange mans frame she couldn't help but feel nauseous at the site of Marcel's blood across the male's porcelain digits. Anger bubbled against the surface of her skin, she has always been impulsive especially when those she loved were in danger and seeing her father lying on the floor caused the typically gentle beauty to clench her fists tightly. The air within the room slowly melted away with every movement of Mia's wrists, flickers of black slowly enveloped her usually gentle orbs as she heard the golden haired male begin to struggle for air.

Tightening the hold she had on the man Mia finally allowed herself to make her way to Marcel. "What happened to you? Why did he do this?" Placing a hand against his cheek she couldn't fight the need to hurt the man that had inflicted pain on Marcel. The rough heaves of the man that was now plastered against the wall didn't even register to the young witch, her eyes were glues intently on Marcel as she waited for him to finally open his eyes and look at her.

Mia shook any fear that had been previously flowing through her veins. Inching closer to the golden haired vampire she forced him to look at her, "who the hell are you?" His eyes were black with anger, and his face had become a deepened shade of red from the lack of air flow. For a moment her true self poked through and before she could register her movement she allowed her hand to unclasp. Klaus slid onto the floor, his hand clenching the base of his neck as he looked at the witch with disbelief in his orbs.

"I asked you a question, who are you and why the hell do you think you can just come in here and hurt people?" It was becoming harder and harder for Mia to control the anger and frustration she was feeling. The mere thought of almost losing the man that had raised her sent the witch over the edge. Tucking a loose strand of hair beneath her ear Mia raised her hands once more; she deepened her hold on the man that was now clutching both sides of his head. Klaus' screams echoed through her ears as he began feeling the surface of his brain beginning to explode.

"Mia stop!" Marcel's voice was distant, almost a whisper.

"No…" Biting the bottom of her lip Mia intensified her gaze. She needed to make him hurt, she needed to make him pay.

"Mia! Stop…Now!"

"I said no!" Her yell caused the glass windows to shatter allowing a warm breeze to circulate the room. Taking three steps away from the vampire who had collapsed only inches away from her feet she began to scan the current condition room. She couldn't believe what she'd done, her magic had ravished the delicate features of the old church. The stained glass artwork was now a pile of millions of fragments on the floor, there were trickles of blood belonging to the man she had just tortured. She wasn't like this She didn't hurt people. _But if I didn't do something he would've hurt Marcel…he would've kept hurting him…_ "I'm sorry…" Her voice was now a mere whisper. "I…uh…I need some air." Shaking her head Mia ran to the entrance of the church, she grasped onto the metal railing to keep herself from stumbling to the ground.

Feeling a tall shadow hover over her delicate frame she didn't even bother looking up at the figure. "He's going to need help getting home…." Her voice was soft and worn. She couldn't look at Sophie, there would be disappointment tinged against her orbs for having allowed her magic to take control of her. "I'm gonna go now…" Running her hands through her knotted tresses Mia disappeared into the nearest crowd of people. She needed to be alone. She was losing control of herself, this wasn't who she was. She didn't hurt people. _I almost killed someone…_ Mia had been about to take another man's life had it not been for Marcel. The girl who flinched whenever an insect was killed in front of her had almost stolen someone else's life. _This isn't okay…I'm not okay…_


	4. Towers

I really hope you guys are enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it!  
This chapter kind of took me a bit to write out; I was debating where I wanted to go with it. To be honest im not too happy with this chapter but I promise the next one will get better.  
I have a faint idea of where I want this to go but I love to hear feedback from you guys and seeing where you guys would like for this to go or what you'd like to see.

* * *

**Authors Note(s):**

_Next Chapter? Mia asks Marcel about the blonde haired man in the church and we have a brief flashback of the night Marcel finds the little witch in the woods.  
Notes: _Don't forget to tell me what you guys think! Comments, critiques, questions (all loved and gladly appreciated).

* * *

**East Coast**

For the love, I'd fallen on in the swampy August dawn  
What a mischief you would bring young darling!  
When the onus is not all your own  
When you're up for it before you've grown

* * *

_What am I doing here? _The porch creaked loudly beneath her feet every time she tiptoed back and forth. Placing a hand against the worn wooden railing she couldn't stop herself from trembling. She hated the woods. The feel of the tall tree's hovering over her golden frame made the young woman feel infinitely small. It was like her body knew something that her mind didn't, whenever her boots skimmed the cold earth she could feel her blood vessels being to constrain and her heart would start thumping against her ears, she hated the way that that rugged field toyed with her senses. Mia bit the bottom of her lip lightly and allowed a small breath to escape her before turning to face the front door once more. Allowing her eyes to fall onto the floor she could feel the eerie sensation dancing along her spinal cord once more.

"Mia? Do you know what time it is?" The gritty vibration beneath his voice caused a small smile to form against her lips. "Is everything okay?" Seth's hair was tousled gently, the band from his boxers peaked out from beneath his worn navy sweatpants and the gray thermal that hugged his rugged body had several buttons missing from the collar.

"It is…" Mia's hand disappeared into the depths of her cross-body bag. Pushing aside crumpled receipts, various tubes of chap stick and several silver lacquered coins her digits managed to collided against the cold surface of her phone. "…one in the morning. I've never been good at falling asleep." She tucked a loose strand beneath her ear as she attempted to pull a small smile from the corner of her lips. "Can I come in? I'm not a big fan of….all of this." Wearing her favorite pair of bleach stained jeans with one too many holes in the knee, an oversized oatmeal cardigan and a pair of dirt stained combat boots Mia could feel her muscles tightening once more.

Seth looked into her golden orbs; they had a look he had come to know over the years. There was no warmth beneath her gaze; it was like her essence had been slowly shattered into a million pieces. She wasn't the gentle flower child whose laugh always echoed through his mind. The woman staring back at him looked defeated, she looked like she would crumble onto the ground if the wind blew too roughly. "Come here." Seth pulled the young witch tightly against his towering frame. He dug his right hand lightly into her raven tresses, the smell of lavender filled his senses as he kissed the top of her head. "What happened?"

Mia shook her head several times before clasping her hands together against his back, bringing him closer. "Can I come inside please?"

Seth pulled away slowly but before letting her go completely he kissed her forehead gently. "I have to warn you though; the outside is a lot more put together than the inside." He laughed softly before pulling the front door open just enough for the young witch to slither inside.

"Thanks for the warning but the inside isn't the problem it's the creepy looking trees that are the problem." Mia had never bothered to venture deeper than the living room and kitchen. The werewolf clans all lived the same way. She had seen enough during her many visits as a tender child to know that every home was lived in as though they were living on borrowed time. Piles of plates were beginning to flood the depths of the sink, across the couch was an abundance of quilted blankets and worn in pillows in various hues. It looked as though his entire life had been crammed into every bare space of the nine-hundred square foot home. "I'm guessing the cleaning lady hasn't stopped by in a while?" Mia finally allowed herself to smile playfully at the man standing across from her.

"Yeah, she's on vacation …the Caribbean I think it was."

Mia plopped onto Seth's makeshift bed as she grabbed one of the many quilted blankets and wrapped it tightly around her frame. "I uh…I did something today…and umm…I don't really feel like myself right now."

A confused look crept across Seth's groggy eyes. "What happened today Ems?"

"I almost killed someone…well kind of? I don't know. I mean he's wasn't actually a person. I think he was a vampire, I'm pretty sure he was a vampire. He was hurting Marcel and the next thing I knew I had him pinned against the wall. I could hear his breathing against my ear and I could feel myself enjoying inflicting him with pain. Then, Marcel started yelling for me to stop but I just couldn't. And then there was blood, a puddle formed against my feet….And I just…I was so damn angry. The last time I lost control of myself I almost-…I feel like one day I'm going to end up hurting someone I care about.

"Hey…that's not going to happen Ems…Who was this guy? What do you mean you almost killed him?"

"I don't know who he is. Marcel was acting really weird this morning and I just had this really weird gut feeling that something bad was going to happen. So I did a locator spell and found him at the church. When I got there some blond haired vampire guy had Marcel in a puddle of blood and I just snapped. I choked him and then I guess I decided that wasn't enough so I boiled the vessels in his brain…until he started coughing up blood."

The young wolf sat on the aged coffee table, clasping his hands together he locked his orbs with the witch. "Did you hurt yourself?" Images of her lifeless body across the concrete floor of the Gerard home flashed through his mind. He remembered finding her, blood had formed rivers down her neck and her golden skin had begun turning an iridescent shade of ivory. The young with had taken things too far, she had misused her magic and the ancestors had been forced to intervene.

"No." Her voice was a mere whisper. She had been reckless. All the fine print reminding witches just how dangerous having the gift of magic truly was failed to state just how lethal magic could be when inhabiting a reckless soul. "It didn't get to that point…God, I'm such a shitty witch."

"You're not a shitty witch, you're just the most hardheaded witch ever." A smirk formed across his lips.

"But, what if I would have killed that guy? What if…"

"But you didn't. And you said he was a vampire, they're dead already."

"Yeah, I guess. I just…I'm scared of losing control again Seth."

"That's not going to happen." The wolf stood slowly, a soft creak echoed through the aged walls of the home. Clasping his slender digits with Mia's he tugged her gently until she was standing, their frames only inches apart. "I won't let it happen." Mia nodded her head repeatedly. She wanted to convince herself that it was really that simple, that this man would be able to take away all the pain she felt. It was like she was attempting to find herself in the love someone had for her. There were times when she questioned what he saw in her, a girl who had no idea where she came from and who had the ability to hurt all those around her whenever her emotions became heightened. She was far too much of a mess yet somehow this boy managed to see the best in her.

His fingertips danced across her cheek as his left hand slid the witches frame closer towards his own. "I'm never going to let anything happen to you okay?"

Mia nodded once more, this time more assured by his words. "Okay." The sudden tug of his teeth against her bottom lips forced a slight whimper to escape her lips. Mia pulled away for a moment, making sure to avoid his gaze as she settled her forehead against his chest. The rise and fall of his breath lulled all of Mia's doubts, shutting her eyes tightly she couldn't help but feel like she didn't deserve him.

His hand rested against the nape of her neck as he wished that he hadn't chosen that moment to kiss her. It was an impulse he hadn't been able to control since the moment he finally allowed himself to tell her that she was more to him than just another friend. "You should probably get some sleep. I'll take you back home in the morning."

"Yeah…" Feeling his body melt away, the young witch couldn't help but clasp her fingertips against his wrist, preventing him from completely pulling away. It was reflexive, her hand found the nape of his neck as she pressed her lips gently against the wolves. For a moment she feared that he would pull away completely, he had always been the type of guy to give her space when he felt like she needed it, whenever he got an inkling that maybe she was looking for his love for the wrong reason. Her fears were quickly drowned as Seth's cold fingertips traveled across chin pulling her closer, intensify the kiss as though he were the only thing keeping her alive. "I love you." The phrase tasted strange against her tongue. Those three little words had always been implied in their relationship but she had never actually allowed herself to say them. Love was one of those words that held too much meaning, had too much power. Loving someone meant that you were allowing yourself to be vulnerable, letting them have the power to hurt you. It wasn't that the young witch prevented herself from caring, because she didn't, she cared about all those around her she just didn't want to give the universe the power to take them away from her. The only person she told that she loved them was Marcel, he was the only person she had given the power to be completely ripped from her life. It was why she always felt the need to make sure he was safe, the thought of losing someone she loved caused her to do reckless things.

* * *

Staring intently at the crackling fireplace Klaus took a swig of the glass filled with whiskey, the liquid burning his throat with very sip. Allowing the freshly lacquered canvas to fall against the golden flames he watched as her face became a tarnished shade of black. All the delicate features he had so methodically placed: the raven colored waves that cascaded to one side of her neck, the flushed color of her cheeks and the just bitten color of her lips were now nothing more than a pile of ashes at the base of the fireplace. Her face was ingrained in the deepest parts of his mind, her delicate features resembling the young wolf that had given her life. Mia was the perfect blend of recklessness and loyalty, the two small qualities he had searched centuries to find in another person and they had ended up being neatly packaged within his child.

_His child_. The feel of those words rolling against his tongue produced a foreign taste, he had uttered those words countless times whenever he pictured the moment he would meet his child once more. Yet every time he had allowed those words to escape his lips they had been filled with fantasized images of a stranger that did not actually exist. Mia was nothing like he had envisioned: the sound of her voice was softer, her hair was jet-black like the dirt from which her magic was derived and her eyes were golden orbs that gleamed when the sun shone lightly. Mia may have been the product of a one night, liquor fueled escapade but she was the only valuable thing he possessed. He was his own. Niklaus shook his head slightly as a faint smile formed across his lips as the image of his child beamed against his mind once more. She was perfect. But most importantly she was his.

Klaus could sense his brother's presence watching him from the doorway, "I'm going to assume you didn't dare touch a hair on her head?" Not bothering to raise his gaze from the flickering lights that beamed across his ivory skin Klaus smirked slightly, "You seem to forget brother that she is _my _child."

Elijah didn't bother to utter a word in response, his orbs locked intensely against his brother's frame. The thought of his brother inflicting any form of harm to his nieces caused the blood that coursed through his body to boil. "Did you hurt her Niklaus?" His voice was firmer, a bitterness that cut the air with every word he spoke. Klaus remained silent, his orbs plastered on the rhythmic flickering of the flames. The blank look across his younger brother's face began to annoy Elijah; he needed answers that his brother was refusing to provide. The vampire began to take a step in the opposite direction, realizing that it was best to see for himself that the young witch was safely back at home.

Klaus quickly resigned to the fact that his brother would always be far too engulfed with the idea of his child, he lifted his gaze slowly, raising his glass in his brother's direction, "Why don't you join me brother?"

Elijah looked curiously at Klaus as the thought of Mia's safety continued to bounce against his mind. He was about to refuse the hybrids offer but decided against it, maybe it was best to limit the amount of disagreements they had. Being by his brother's side meant he would be able to protect the raven haired witch from the clutches of the maniacal wolf. Inching slowly towards his younger brother Elijah poured himself a glass of scotch, "What diabolical plan have you set in motion?"

"I have done nothing. I just went to have a word with Marcel and our little witch stormed in and defended _him,_ the enemy." The flickering embers from the fireplace intensified the black strands of darkness that were reminiscent of the violence that coursed through his veins.

"What were you expecting Klaus? Her loyalties lie with the man that has become her family." Without taking a single sip from the glass Elijah placed it carefully atop the mantle. Making his way to one of the many upholstered chairs he unbuttoned his black jacket before taking a seat in the opposite end of the study. For a brief moment he couldn't help but feel tinge of bitterness traveling down his spine, a piece of him has always felt like the child was just as much his own as she was his brother. The idea that his young brother had been so close to her made the original feel like he had been unworthy of being the first to have a formal interaction with her.

"She is _my _family!" Klaus tossed his glass tumbler into the pit of fire, the fumes responded with a menacing growl as they slowly dwindled to their previous flickers. "I will not let him take her." The sheer thought of his child embracing his enemy made his skin crawl. Here was a man that had taken everything that meant something to him. Marcel has inched his way into his heart the moment he had witnessed the young child being cruelly beat to death in the middle of the woods. The hybrid had taken him as his own, he had been his child, he had loved the young man and he had the willingness to turn around and take it all from him. His child was now yet another thing that Marcel had robbed him of. He could almost see his child in the warm embrace of the man he loathed; Marcel had the privilege of calling her daughter, of knowing her every dream and fear, of having her unconditional love.

"She is _our_ family. But do you think that by hurting those she loves she will come to accept you? She will only grow the hate you if you don't learn to control your anger brother."

"I will kill all those that stand in my way of getting her back." His blackened orbs held a pain that Elijah had long ago forgotten could exist within his brother. The look across the hybrid's stare was reminiscent of the night he had failed to keep his child safe.

"She is not an object brother. You can't drag her away from her home at your leisure and expect that she will do as you say."

Niklaus stood directly in front of his older brother, placing a hand against Elijah's broadened shoulder he couldn't help but smirk. "Are you going to help me bring her home?"

Elijah looked into his brother's golden hues; he knew that his brother would stop at nothing until he had the young witch caged within the confines of their home. His reckless need to have his daughter by his side would surely result in the child getting hurt in the process. He couldn't allow his brother to hurt the young girl; he wouldn't be able to live with himself if that happened. "We'll bring her home."


	5. Share the Cold

I know I took a while to post this chapter but I've been having midterms these past few weeks. So if I don't update as often or you think I'm going MIA don't worry, I promise I'm going to update eventually!  
I'm not going to leave this story half started, promise.  
I'm not going to lie, I rewrote this chapter about five different times and each time it went somewhere completely different so I hope that you guys are happy with it. I don't fully know how I feel about it yet lol  
I really enjoy hearing your guys' feedback on the story! Thanks so much for bearing with me and being so awesome!

* * *

**Authors Note(s):**

_Next Chapter? _We meet this strange vampire that's come to Mia's rescue. Who do you guys think it might be?_  
Notes: _What did you guys think of the flashback?  
Don't forget to tell me what you guys think! Comments, critiques, questions (all loved and gladly appreciated).

* * *

**East Coast**

In this world the heart beats slow  
In my arms let's share the cold  
In my eyes you're all I've known  
Darlin' let's go home

* * *

The morning sky was a blend of lilac strokes painted gently against a pink canvas. Marcel found nothing beautiful about the way the sun rose just enough to kiss the outer edges of the sky. The earth was unable to produce any beauty in Marcel's eyes if all things were not in perfect order. Time was moving at a glacial pace leaving the vampire to feel as though a thousand years had been encased within those eleven hours that his child had spent away from the confines of his home. Marcel gripped the metal railing of the veranda as though the worry that was coursing through his veins would will Mia to appear from thin air. The world was far too dismal without the light his child emitted through the cold, dark hallways of their home.

_Eleven hours…eleven fucking hours and she's still not home! _Marcel could feel his blood begin to boil against the surface of his skin. It was far too much for him to handle. He hated how useless these people were. Their sole purpose in life was to keep his child safe, they were to know where she was every minute of every day yet they were unable to answer his questions. It had been exactly eleven hours since he had last laid eyes on his child. Her golden orbs were plastered against his mind; he needed her in his arms, he needed to tell her he loved her. Taking several steps away from the railing Marcel felt his shoulder blades collide against the brick wall behind him, in an instant he allowed his feet to crumble beneath the weight of his frame. His head lay against the aged bricks, yet he never allowed his eyes to fall from the entrance of his home. He needed her to come back to him and hear her tender voice call him dad once more.

_Eleven hours…_The mahogany door taunted him with its every movement. Every time the door creaked signaling someone's arrival he could feel his heart beating furiously against his chest only to be disappointed seconds later by the sight of a common witch or werewolf. The look of false concerned that was plastered across their orbs was enough to make the vampire want to kill every one of them. Their answers were all the same, it was like they had all copied and pasted the same sad excuse to each other in a text message, _We're doing everything we can to find her but no one has seen her since she left the church yesterday. We'll bring her home safely. She'll be home soon._ The sound of their voices blended together, he no longer bothered looking at them. The rise and falling of his heart had dimmed to a mere flicker whenever someone pushed the wooden doors open. The sight of meaningless witches or vampires repulsed him. He yelled into the depths of the hallways that if another person dared enter his home he would rip them apart.

* * *

_Flashback:_

The child needed to die. She was the offspring of a maniacal hybrid and an abandoned werewolf, a byproduct of two souls who offered the world nothing but misery. What did this child have to offer except the destruction of every supernatural race that resided across the earth? Darkness coursed through her veins, poison danced across her tongue, a lethal weapon all wrapped inside the small frame of a newborn child.

It was too early to be awake, too early to be planning how to the kill the newest addition of the Mikaelson clan. "Split up." Marcel's groggy voice danced among the swaying branches overhead. He watched as the men he had gathered began making their way through the densely covered forest. "You find her you bring her to me!" The tone behind his words caused the half-asleep men to snap back into reality. They weren't here for fun; this was a mission to take out the one thing that stood in the way of vampires ruling New Orleans, the baby witch.

There was too much movement in the forest for this time of day. Word must have gotten out about the child's arrival. He could almost smell the scent of wet dog dancing across the midnight air and hear the chants of the witches who couldn't wait to get their hands on the child. Everyone wanted a piece of her. They were either there to kill this lethal being or attempt to keep it safe from the rest of the mystical races. A small smile couldn't help but form across his lips as the image of Klaus' pain stricken face carved itself against his mind. All the misery the hybrid had inflicted during his centuries of existence would be repaid the moment he snapped that small creature's neck. It was a debt long overdue and everyone was there to be compensated for their losses.

A tender glow of orange was emanating from the distance. _The witches…_Marcel snapped his fingers several times, he wanted as many of his men close behind him when they infiltrated upon the witches sacrificial ceremony. The fallen leaves shattered beneath his heavy boots with every step he took, clenching his fist all he could think about was killing the child. She needed to be killed, these past few hours she had spent breathing the cool night air had been on borrowed time. The small baby couldn't die as a tool that would allow the witches to harness her power; she needed to die in the hands of a vampire. The young witch's sole purpose in life was to give the vampires the advantage they needed to make sure the wolves remained in the shadows and that the witches knew that they were only alive because of the grace that Marcel bestowed upon them.

An immense fire had been created in the center of the clearing. The flickers of light produced by the waves of fire caused the coven of witches to look beautiful, almost peaceful. The warm orange tones continued to beam across their blackened orbs the minute they averted their gaze from the flame. "You're too late Marcel. You can't control us anymore." Sophie ran her slender digits through her raven tresses as she placed a silver tumbler across her lips; they were painted with crimson as the small beads began to travel down her neck. Licking her lips she could taste the power that had coursed the small child's veins. "It's a shame she needed to die, but if not by us then who else?" She handed the glass to the red haired maven that was standing beside her. They exchanged glances momentarily before the rustling within the forest began growing louder.

"You expect me to believe that you killed her? You're too weak to kill." Marcel had a difficult time controlling the laugh that was aching to escape his lips. "I killed your sister and what did you do? You just stood there and _watched_."

Among the crowd that had gathered beside the pit of flames emerged Thierry, the noble companion returning to his master once more. Across his ivory hands was a stream of blood, for a brief instance he debated throwing his old friend into the flames that were only an arm's length away. It would be easy to dispose of him, his life gone before he could even draw a breath but it was far too simple a punishment if he had taken it upon himself to kill the child. Thierry was many things but stupid was not one of them, why would he return to Marcel's side if he had killed the witch? Every vampire in New Orleans knew that their life would be the price they would pay if they averted from his methodically laid plan.

"The wolf is dead." The coldness beneath his whisper caused Marcel to furrow his brows in confusion.

"Which wolf?" Marcel's brown orbs locked against the crimson stream that was now dripping onto the earth.

"Hayley, found her in the middle of the forest with a knife lodged through her chest and this in her hand." Thierry placed the small trinket in Marcel's palm. There was no meaning being behind it of that he was sure, most likely a gift given to the small child upon her arrival. He shoved the metallic contraption into the pockets of his denim jeans.

"Was the kid with her?"

"No, we couldn't find her. I have some men looking out by the lake."

Marcel placed a hand across the nape of Thierry's neck and brought the ivory skinned vampire closer to his frame. "The second you find her bring her to me." He pulled his long-time friend away, his digits still gently splayed across the back of the male's neck. "I want her alive."

Thierry nodded in agreement. The child would be returned to him safely, the only pain to be inflicted across her skin would be a product of his own hands. "I'm going to ask you one more time Sophie, where the hell did you leave the kid?" Marcel returned his attention to the group of witches that had finished passing the contraption filled with the young witch's blood. The last of the crimson pool remaining within the tumbler was allowed to drip onto the flickering waves of orange.

"You can find her body floating face down in the lake on the other side of the clearing." The red-haired witch stepped forward, her tresses cascading across her left shoulder. "I was surprised by how much of a fight she put up to live. It took me almost three minutes before that stupid thing stopped kicking in the water." The warmth of the pit caused her cheeks to become flushed with every word she spoke.

Marcel shook his head as a smirk formed across his lips, "You still need her, for the second part of your stupid little ritual."

They needed the young witch alive; they would sacrifice her to the ancestors and ask them to provide the coven with enough strength to overpower the vampires. They would justify their act of violence as a means to protect the lineages of every witch that remained. The young witch was a means to an end; her death would ensure that their heritage would continue thriving for many more centuries.

"You witches have never been good at deception." Marcel placed a hand across his chin as he began to mentally catalog all the places the witches considered to be sacred land. _The cemetery…_ No doubt they would have the small child heavily guarded by the few witches that remained living in the Quarter. Digging his hand into the pocket of his black jacket he took out the slender contraption, he slid his finger across the screen as he typed out a message to Thierry that read: _She's in the cemetery. Kill all those stupid witches if you have to but get me the kid._ "Well, it looks like I've wasted enough of my time with you useless witches. Kill each one of them." Marcel motioned for his men to have at the witches, he was giving them permission to release all the pent up aggression they had harvested towards them for years. "Clean up your mess when you're done."

The stream of vampires began pouring into the clearing. Their sharpened fangs glimmered beneath the moonlight as they began skimming the platter of witches they had been offered. You could see them calculating how many witches they could dig their fangs into before they would even realize that they were on the verge of death.

"There's one small little detail I forgot to tell you. We might not have killed the kid yet, but that doesn't mean we can't harness her power." Sophie lifted her hand into the air causing the flames to mold themselves against the skin of every vampire within arm's distance. "I'll kill all your little minions before they're even able to lay a single hand on us." She cocked her head to the side challenging to the vampire to question her weakness one more time.

"Go ahead, kill them. They've already served their purpose." Had this been any other moment he wouldn't have considered sacrificing his men, but things were different. These were not normal circumstances, it was his job to make sure the witches went back to the hole they had managed to dig themselves out of. There was a balance that he needed to restore. Vampire had been meant to roam the earth, the witches and werewolves were merely a hiccup, nature's way of amusing the vampire species.

"Then you're dying alongside them. A leader dies along with his soldiers, isn't that what you always say that loyalty is?" The bitterness behind Sophie's utterances grew with every second that passed. The blood that had ravished her senses provided the raven haired witch with the child's power but it had also given her the darkness that resided within the tiny witch's soul. It was a darkness he needed to contain before it could infect the rest of his community. This child was nothing more than a parasite that needed to be exterminated.

* * *

Her body was raveled within the countless blankets that had been wrapped around her frame by the tender werewolf. A laugh couldn't help but escape her lips as she allowed her head to collapse against the pile of pillows that were plopped on the floor. Mia brought the collar of her shirt up to her nose; the smell of his cologne was entwined with the fibers of her clothing. She could almost feel the rise and fall of his chest as she remembered the way he had cajoled her restless body to sleep. Mia tugged the blankets tightly around her frame; she didn't want to break free from the safety they provided her. They almost made her forget that she was in the middle of the forest, dozens of miles away from the safety of her home. _Ugh…I hate the woods!..._ Bringing the covers over her face she tried to lull herself to sleep. _You just need to sleep until Seth gets back…just a few hours and he'll be home…just a few hours…_but even from beneath the covers the sounds of the forest taunted her: the sound of crows echoed against the wooden floor of Seth's home and the shadows of the trees that swayed in the gentle wind were plastered against her legs. It was like the forest was playing a sadistic game on her, it knew her fears and enjoyed watching the way she lost her mental stability with every second that passed.

A soft buzzing could be heard from beneath the pile of pillows that had been tossed on the opposite side of the living room. Biting her bottom lip the young witch willed herself to crawl towards her phone, her head was bowed completely making sure to avert her gaze from the crow she knew had been staring at her from the moment she had awoken. The young witch tossed the countless pillows into a mountain beside her leg as the buzzing of the phone came to a loud roar. Across the screen shone the seven little letters that always managed to halt her ability to breath. She pressed her thumb against the notification that was flashing across the screen and couldn't help but yawn as the message slowly came to life across the glass surface. Running here digits through the mess of waves that skimmed her cheek lazily she allowed the words to envelop her senses: _Where are you? Marcel is at the point where he's going to start killing people if he doesn't see you at the compound in the next hour._

Had she read his message before her encounter with the blonde vampire in the church she would have thought her father unable to harm another human being but apparently there were facets of the man that had raised her that remained foreign to her. The young witch stared at the vampire's message once more; she hesitated to send back a reply. _I'm in the woods, just waiting for Seth to get back so he can take me home. But I'm guessing that's not really an option now huh? _Mia looked at her reply and felt an urge to simply erase the message and pretend like she had never gotten his text. Her fingertips slid across the skin of her lower lip as she debated what to do. A part of her knew that if Marcel saw Seth he would surely take his anger out on him. He had always been careful to keep his ill comments to himself, making sure to never make his true feelings known. But the young witch could read her father's thoughts as though they had been scribbled across the sky. She could feel the anger that seeped through her father's pores whenever Seth held her in his arms. Mia had always wondered what it was about Seth that put Marcel so on edge. There were far too many questions concerning her life that were never answered by any of the people around her.

Mia looked down at her phone once more and instinctively pressed the send button on her phone. The moment the message was sent to the older vampire she could feel the tension within her shoulders begin to subside. It was like her body knew that as soon as that vampire showed up at her door she'd finally be safe. He had always protected her. If he were able to control the wind she was sure he would never allow the midnight air to brush her cheek too roughly. Mia rested her head against the yellowed surface of the wall and attempted to hush the thoughts that made her feel as though the walls were beginning to close in on her. _I hate this stupid place…_


	6. Moon Song

I'm sorry it's been taking me a while to post but school's been crazy lately. I've got two midterms and a final this week so I probably won't be posting the next chapter until sometime next week. Thanks for being so patient with me though!  
Let me know what you guys thought of this chapter. I know there's a lot of stuff crammed together but I wanted to make it a bit longer since I hadn't updated in a while. What do you guys think of the story so far?

* * *

**Authors Note(s):**

_Next Chapter? _&We're going to have a 3 part family gathering. Mia will finally lay eyes on Klaus. What does Kol's plan consist of? Will Mia finally learn who Klaus actually is?_  
Notes: _Don't forget to tell me what you guys think! Comments, critiques, questions (all loved and gladly appreciated).

* * *

**East Coast**

&You came on strong like some running wave  
&You're beauty left me broken and hungry  
Left me begging to the birds for a bone or an offering  
Left me sayin' nothing, nothing like I always say

* * *

The scene was far too familiar. The way the ripples of the water crashed into the cracked earth before receding back into the depths of the unknown left a bitter taste across the vampires tongue. Time didn't seem to have an effect on this portion of land. It was like the years had only served to preserve the subtle details that reminded all those who had roamed the woods nearly seventeen years ago of the atrocities that were committed on that land. It didn't matter how many treaties of peace were signed between the mystic beings that inhabited New Orleans or the amount of times each werewolf, witch or vampire swore to keep the young raven witch safe there would always be remnants of that night scattered throughout the town. People could slowly learn to repress the memories of the things that keep them up light at night but the land, the land never truly forgets.

Placing a hand on the front door the ivory skinned vampire allowed his digits to trace the grooves and granules of the aged wood. Each small dent a memory, whether painful or happy he did not know nor did he truly care. They were like battle scars. Reminding the people of the woods all they had been through and all they were still forced to live through in order to keep one person safe, Mia. Taking a few steps away from the front door he began walking across the porch, allowing the wooden planks to creak rhythmically beneath the weight of his frame. A small smile couldn't help but form from the corner of his lips as his gaze settled on the raven witch who lay in a state that resembled a battle between slumber and anxiety. The rise and fall of her chest was slow and steady, she remained still except for the occasional tug that her body managed to exert on the blanket which seemed more of a reflex than an actual search for warmth. He knocked on the window gently, making sure not to startle the slumbering creature that always scared to easily especially when forced to inhabit the same land where she had been so close to death years ago.

He could hear her begin to stir but she quickly forced herself back into the slumber that she had been broken free from only a second ago. Placing his knuckles against the window once more he continued to tap the glass until the witch was unable to ignore the constant echoes. Mia's slender frame found comfort in the aged doorway; her body slumped in a posture that seemed more like a search for support than a deliberate action of her choosing. There was still sleepiness in her gaze as she extended her arms out to him, calling for the vampire to come closer, asking for him to take her away from the torment that the woods provoked her.

Thierry pulled her arm gently, allowing her tired frame to collide against his own. The young witch's tresses were in a disheveled clump over her left shoulder and the knitted blanket hung lazily off of her golden frame as she tugged on his shirt to bring him closer. Thierry wrapped his arm gently around her waist as he finally allowed himself to release a breath of air he had not realized he had been holding. The soft smell of the wet earth seemed to have soaked into her skin during the hours she had spent imprisoned in her own jail cell. "You should have called." He knew this wasn't the best time to lecture her but he also knew that if he didn't say it now he never would. His need to protect her often time overtook any anger that he could manage to conjure towards her.

Mia knew he was angry at her. Angry that she hadn't trusted him enough to seek refuge in him like she always had when she was younger. He was angry that she had chosen the lone werewolf who had no family of his own over the man that had over the years become her protector. "I know…I just needed to get away."

"So you came _here_? To the one place that you hate more than anything in the world."

"I never said it was a good idea. I just needed to be with someone that wasn't going to lecture me for going crazy in that church yesterday."

Thierry chose to ignore the last portion of Mia's retort; something within himself wouldn't allow him to understand the witch's actions. Agreeing that her running to the wolf was the only acceptable answer to her problem would be like finally extending an olive branch to the boy. Instead he buried his fingers into the mess of waves that had covered Mia's face before lifting her gaze slowly towards his own. In that moment her golden orbs were reminiscent of the night he had held her in his arms as a newborn, the glimmer of hope that beamed across her face like she had know that he wasn't strong enough to hurt her. Brushing away the sea of stray hairs that were plastered against her forehead he allowed his lips to collide against her cold skin. "Let's get you back home."

Mia nodded in agreement. She was ready to get out from the middle of the forest; she was ready to escape from the gaze of the sole crow that had been watching her shamelessly for hours. "He's pissed off isn't he?"

Thierry parted his lips slightly before reconsidering the best way to phrase the extent of the anger Marcel had managed to evoke during the past eleven hours. "If you aren't home in the next hour he's probably going to come searching for your boyfriend."

Mia pulled away from Thierry's hold, she searched his orbs for any sense of playfulness behind his words but there was nothing there except for a deep concern that she was certain was more for her than for Seth's well being. "We should probably head back then." Mia wrapped the large knitted blanket tightly around her frame as she took the first few steps toward the heavy shrubbery that haunted her dreams at night.

* * *

"It looks like our pretty little niece is surrounded by men eager to be her protector." The youngest Mikaelson placed a kiss roughly on his sister's cheek as he made his way to the bar in the poorly lit living room. It seemed like his entire family was forcing themselves into an existence where depression was the norm. Any area of the large plantation home that had the smallest ability to allow the sun's glowing rays to penetrate the home had been covered with curtains.

"What the hell are you talking about Kol?" Rebekah lifted the back of her hand to her cheek and rubbed the traces of liquor that were left behind by her brother.

A smooth stream of whiskey began filling the depths of the crystal tumbler that Kol held in his hand. "While you three were here planning the best way to get close to our favorite little witch I was out there actually keeping an eye on her."A bemused grin was permanently plastered across his face, he relished the fact that while they were all so concerned about how to not scare the youngest member of the family off he had managed to find her weaknesses in the stretch of the past eleven hours.

Elijah made his way to this brother, removing the bottle of whiskey from his hand and placing it roughly against the bar once more. "Kol if you so much as hurt that child I will-"

"Don't worry brother I didn't hurt the girl." He slowly raised the glass to his lips as he searched his older brother's eyes for that small glint of fatherly rage that always seemed to surface whenever he talked about Mia. After all these years and he was still unable to hide the feeling of possession he had over the child. It was like she was just as much his as she was Klaus'. She was the child their hybrid brother never deserved yet managed to somehow acquire. "Besides brother, I'm sure she can take care of herself. After all are we forgetting how she nearly killed Klaus with a single stroke of her hand?"

"I'm assuming you found out something useful or did you just spend all morning staring at her and came back here with a description of a girl we have already seen?" Rebekah couldn't help but feel annoyed as she watched the look of amusement that continued to reside against his liquor stained lips. She had thought that having found the young Mikaelson would awaken the same urge to protect her as it had the night she had been born. Kol was the brother who stirred at the slightest variation in the babies coos or would run a finger gently against the child check whenever he thought no one was watching. Mia had awakened a tenderness he had not known could exist within the darkness his soul had acquired through many centuries. This small creature had changed their lives entirely and here he was acting as though it was all a joke. It was as though he had forgotten what it was like to love another, like he had repressed any memories of that fragile being the moment he had discovered she had been ripped away from their family.

"If you're going to want to bring her back home we're going to have to kill one of her two little suitors."

"We're not killing anyone Kol." Elijah shook his head in disbelief. His brothers seemed to be unable to grasp the concept that hurting those Mia cared about would only result in her abhorring the very family with which she shared her bloodline. "She is to come home to us willingly. It must be her choice."

"Her choice?" Rebekah furrowed her eyebrows, perplexed by the comment of her oldest brother. "Do you really think she'd willingly leave Marcel's home? She believes that bastard to be her father, if she only knew that her mother's death lay on his hands then she wouldn't hesitate to run back to her true family."

Kol chose to ignore both of his sibling statements, "There's a wolf she went running to after her little encounter with our brother at the church. Then this morning Thierry showed up to swoop up our little witch and deliver her back to the nest." Placing the empty tumbler on the slightly tarnished side table he allowed his body to crumble on the nearest sofa. "There's a festival to celebrate the Harvest in a few days, we'll simply snatch her back up and bring her home then."

"Is that all Kol? We'll just snatch her up like some sort of object? Did you forget the part where she can practically kill anyone that pisses her off?" The blonde vampire shook her head in disbelief; _if it were really that easy don't you think we would have brought her home already?_

"We'll just have to give her a reason to come begging to for us to save her." Kol looked at his sister with a devilish grin. The lack of creativity his siblings had always served to amuse the brown haired vampire. They lacked vision, any time a conversation pertained their lost witch they always needed to ensure that the smallest detail was methodically planned. He had memorized every concern that Elijah had voiced every time he has proposed a way to bring home the lost child: she mustn't be harmed; we are not to kill anyone she cares about; she is not to know who we are until the moment is opportune; you are not to lay a finger on the child. Kol was tired of adhering to Elijah's rules and coming up empty handed. He had been obedient for far too long, this time they were going to bring the raven haired girl back home. He didn't care if it meant killing every last person she cared about or locking her in a cellar for all of eternity. He would bring her back, after all the end always justifies the means.

* * *

The mahogany entrance parted slightly but in an instant he knew that his world would be right once more. Earth's fragrance filled his senses with every breath he took as the silhouette of his child grew larger and larger with very step. He ran to her, at least he imagined he ran, it was all one big blur to be honest. One moment he found himself in a daze watching as his beautiful child entered the safety of their home and the next he found himself pulling her fragile frame towards his own. It was like he was coming to life once more. She was a glass filled with crimson after countless days of being deprived from the essence of life.

"I'm sorry…" Her words collided against his chest as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. He wanted to scold her, reprimand her for having been so selfish but in that moment she was back to being a child, _his_ child and all he could do was pull her closer. "I love you…"

"I love you too Ems." He kissed the top of her head making sure she was not simply a vision produced out of the desperation he had felt for the past eleven hours.

Mia pulled the vampire closer; his cologne filled her lungs with every breath she drew. He was her shelter from the storm yet a part of her couldn't help but feel like maybe _he_ was the storm. There was so much he kept hidden within the depths of his soul and she knew that there were secrets inside that she would never come to know; Secrets about her, about who she was and why she meant so much to him. Biting her lip she forced herself to ask the one question that had been pounding within her chest for the past hours, "Who was that man in the church?" He didn't produce an answer; instead she could feel his heart begin to pick up speed before he placed a kiss on her forehead. _Just another secret… _The young witch pulled away from his embrace, her golden orbs locked against his own as he brought his hand to her face, tucking stray strands of hair beneath her ear.

Thierry gave Marcel a knowing look. In his ocean hues the message that they needed to get rid of the Mikaelson's as soon as possible. Neither would ever allow the young witch to know who that man truly was. The moment she learned her truth his entire life would come shattering to the ground. She was his; Klaus did not deserve a child as selfless and kind as her. Klaus was a devil who had been granted the honor of having an angel as a daughter. "Go get some sleep. We'll talk later."

Mia looked at the two vampires before nodding slowly. They were hiding something and the moment she shut her eyes they would begin to plan the next lie they would whisper in her ear. A lie that she would wholeheartedly accept because she was naïve, she believed that this man who had saved her life lived was the only man she could ever trust. Her fingertips danced across the cool metal of the railing as she made her way up the countless stairs that led to the only room within the compound that allowed the morning sun to fill its depths.

The door creaked open as she allowed herself to step within the safety of her bedroom. _He looked through my things…_Mia could smell Thierry's fragrance against the air as she began to inch across the room. Everything had been perfectly nestled in its respective place yet his presence within the room was strong. It was like she could breathe in his essence, she could visualize him frantically searching for answers of where she could be. Mia knew he loved her, he loved her in a way that put her mind at ease but there were moments when she could see his madness crying to break free. The love Thierry felt for her was slowly consuming him and Mia couldn't help but feel like he had this belief in his mind that she was his.

"You ransacked my room." Her voice was a whisper as she continued to reflect on all her belongings that were far too perfectly placed across her vanity. His gaze left marks across her shoulder blades as he watched her intently from the doorway. Thierry parted his lips as he searched for words to explain why he had invaded her sanctuary. "Why?" Mia looked over her shoulder, her sleepy orbs concealing the disappointment that rushed through her frame.

"I needed to know where you were." He attempted to take a step forward but his feet would not dare inch closer.

The young witch shook her head, "There's a thing called a phone." Pulling her cell phone from her back pocket she lifted it in the air to show him, as though the concept were something that eluded him. "You know, these stupid little contraptions that allow you to text people so you don't have to go looking through their things."

"We were all worried about you. What if you had been hurt? Did you expect me to just stay here and wait for some stupid werewolves to figure out where you were?"

"I'm pretty sure if I had been killed or mortally injured you and Marcel would have figured it out. Just like you always figure out where the hell I go." Mia ran her digits through her tresses as she released a breath. She just couldn't handle everything that was happening. The mere idea of knowing that the two most important people in her life were keeping things combined with having spent the longest hours of her life within the forest had managed to put her on edge. "What were you looking for anyways?"

Thierry could sense the rage that was beginning to travel through her body. It had taken him many years to earn her trust. She had always been a reclusive child, spending her afternoons scribbling within a leather journal that she kept safely hidden beneath her pillow. He remembered wondering what thoughts she was keeping hidden inside herself, he had wanted to share the pain that was carved against those pages but she would simply look at him and shut the journal loudly. They had reached a point where she no longer spent her days writing in a journal; instead she would come to him and voice all her worries as he tried to console her broken soul. He had shattered the trust she had put in his hands, he had scoured her room like a mad man hoping to find something that she had kept hidden from him. He had been in search of her secrets, rage filling his body at the thought that of her having a part of herself hidden away. "I don't know. Everything…nothing…anything that would tell me where I could find you."

He pulled her fingertips gently, begging for her to look at him but she resisted. Instead she found her way to the windowsill where she locked her golden hues on the city of ants that were crawling on the sidewalk. "Both of you keep things from me! Why do you need to know everything about me but I only get the scraps you're willing to offer?"

"I keep nothing from you. You are the most important thing to me, you know that."

"Then who was that man at the church? Why does everyone in this town crawl into a hole whenever I bring his name up? Why was he trying to hurt Marcel?"

"I don't know." Thierry's voice was a whisper as he sat down on the edge of her bed.

"But you do know." She couldn't help but feel like she was going to crumble beneath the weight of her emotions. Knowing that they were keeping this man's identity away from her couldn't help but make her feel like there had to be other things they were withholding. "Everyone in this goddamn town knows except for me."

"You need to ask Marcel. I can't give you the answers you want Mia."

"Why can't you tell me? Why is it so detrimental for me to know who he is?" She made her way to the ivory skinned vampire that was looking down at the wooden floor. Her frame was faintly shaking, a mixture of anger and exhaustion that prevented her from controlling her emotions. "You're always telling me that you love me. Well, if you love me then tell me who he is and why everyone had started running scared since he's been here." Mia placed her frigid hand against his cheek forcing his ocean orbs to settle against her exhaustion filled body.

"That's not how love works." He took her hand into his own and forced her onto her feet, both their frames merely a centimeter apart. Wrapping his arms around her waist he allowed his forehead to settle against her shoulder.

"So love means keeping things away from those you care about?" A part of her just wanted to pull him closer and allow her body to collapse against his own but the other half of her wanted to dig a dagger against his chest and watch him jolt in agony. He caused a mixture of emotions to bubble against her skin yet all she could to in that very moment was run her hands across his neck, reminiscent of how he would lull her to sleep when her nightmares would overpower her mind.

"I'm trying to keep you safe." _Why can't you just accept that? Why do you need to be so stubborn?_

"Safe from what?"

"You need to ask Marcel." He placed a gentle kiss against her cheek before pulling away from the young witches hold. "He's the only one that can answer your questions."

Mia watched as he walked out of her bedroom, his head hanging lowly as though ashamed of confronting her pain-stricken gaze. _Who the hell is he?_ Allowing her frame to collapse onto the sea of white linens she couldn't help but envision the golden haired vampires face. The mixture of viciousness and despair that were entwined within his orbs filled her with a sense of familiarity. She couldn't help but feel like he was a piece of her story, a piece of _her_. He was something that Marcel wanted to keep hidden away but she just wanted to understand why. Why was this man so important? What connection did he have with her?


	7. Here Comes The Misery Part I

My finals are finally over and I can finally enjoy my summer vacation. I promise I'll update more frequently!  
Let me know how you guys are liking the story so far. I realize that it's taking a while for Klaus and Mia to actually have a conversation but don't worry it's going to happen soon! Thanks to all of you who have left comments and are enjoying the story I've been writing for you guys!

* * *

**Authors Note(s):  
**_Next Chapter? _This is part one of three of the celebration before the upcoming Harvest. Elijah and Mia will have a conversation in the following chapter.  
_ Notes: _Don't forget to tell me what you guys think! Comments, critiques, questions (all loved and gladly appreciated).

**East Coast**

Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life? Say yes. Say yes.  
I'm gonna marry you anyway. Marry that girl.  
We'll be a family.  
I hate to do this, you leave me no choice.  
Can't live without her.

* * *

Taking the last raven strand that framed her golden face she twirled it around the barrel of the curling iron. Placing the metal contraption on her vanity she began to run her fingertips through the cascade of curls. She took several bobby pins and pinned the hair above her right ear back allowing her raven tresses to lie gently against her left shoulder. "Please let today go by quickly." Shutting her eyes tightly Mia released a large breath of air, she hated the yearly celebration that signaled how she was just another day closer to being killed in the harvest.

"You look beautiful." Mia was pulled out of her thoughts as she heard a gentle voice calling out to her.

"Thanks." She allowed a faint smile to pull the corner of her lips. "I feel like a piece of meat being offered up to the town." Mia inched closer to Seth and pulled the lapel of his dinner jacket bringing him towards her frame. He didn't look like himself; he was far more put together than she had ever seen him. The black dinner jacket hugged his masculine frame and a pair of silver cufflinks glimmered beneath the golden light that filled Mia's bedroom. "Who'd you steal the suit from?" A playful tone danced against her words as she fixed his black skinny tie.

"You're best friend dropped it by earlier today."

A confused look formed across her face, "My best friend?"

"Thierry. He brought it by my place in the morning, said if I was going to be seen with you I should look like I didn't live in a shack in the middle of the forest."

"You know he's not very good at saying nice things of anyone who isn't my dad." Mia allowed her forehead to rest gently against his shoulder. "I'm really glad you're here. I don't think I'd be able to survive this without you."

"I saw Marcel when I got here, he didn't look to happy to see me." Seth kissed her neck as he wrapped his arms around the young witch's waist.

"Yeah, he hasn't been too happy with me lately. Everything I do just seems to make him mad." She placed a hand against Seth's chest as she pulled away from his hold. "Which is why…even though you're the only thing keeping me together right now I can't let you be my date to this thing. Marcel would just get mad and I don't think I can take seeing the disappointing look he gives me one more time."

"So basically I'm supposed to stay as far away from you as possible?" Seth shook his head and couldn't help but laugh at hearing her comment. He hated how everyone in Mia's life seemed to be placed above him. She tried so hard to please Marcel and Thierry that she was slowly pushing him further and further away. Seth was beginning to feel like he was nothing more than an afterthought, someone she sought whenever she was alone and had no one else to turn to. "I'll be downstairs. I'd tell you to let me know if you need anything but I'm sure that's what you have Thierry for."

"Seth…that's not what I mean. I just-" Before she was able to finish forming her thought Seth shut the door to her bedroom. Her gaze locked on the solid wood door as she heard his footsteps grow softer and softer with every second that passed. _God, why can't you just understand what I'm going through?..._

Placing a hand against her forehead she began to feel her golden frame tremble with anxiety. Mia looked at the gleaming gown that was hanging above the floor length mirror. It was a floor length gown encrusted with pearls and various silver and white colored beading. Mia ran her fingertips across the delicately placed beading and couldn't help but smile. Taking the floor length gown off of the hanger she carefully stepped into the small opening that formed after unzipping the gown. The silk lining within the dress slid against her curves as she pulled the twinkling dress onto her frame. Mia could feel the cool zipper against her fingertips as she tried to seal herself within the figure hugging dress but her arms were unable to slide the zipper past her bra clasps. "Wow, really? Since when is putting on a dress a two man job?" Picking up the train of the gown with her right hand she made her way to the lonely vampire that resided in the bedroom next to hers.

The door to his bedroom was half open which allowed her to hear his silky voice singing beneath his breath as he fiddled with the various loops and maneuvers needed to perfectly fasten his tie. Allowing her knuckles to beat several times against the door she could hear the man who Seth had referred to as her _best friend_ rise from his bed and pull the door completely open.

"Hey, umm do you mind helping me with my dress?"

Thierry didn't respond instead he walked back to the depths of his bedroom and stood in front of the golden mirror waiting for her. Allowing the train to fall onto the wooden floor the soft echoes of the various beads collided against her ears. "Seth told me you stopped by his place today."

Thierry placed several stray tresses that had fallen against her back in the mass of raven curls against her left shoulder. "Yeah, I was pretty sure your date didn't own an actual suit." His cool fingertips traced the outline of her spinal column before finally zipping the gown completely closed.

"He's not my date." The young witch placed her right hand against her belly as she turned to face Thierry. "I was kind of hoping you'd be my date."

"Does this mean you're not pissed off at me anymore?"

"This means that _you_ shouldn't be asking me any questions and gladly accepting to be my date." She smiled playfully at him as she ran her hands through her hair. "Will you do me the incredible honor of being my date?"

The ivory skinned vampire nodded in response as he placed his hand against her cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"I can hear my heart beating in my ears and the thought of going to this stupid party makes me nauseous."

"You're safe here, nothing is going to happen. You're going to dance with strangers and try to avoid drinking more than one flute of champagne."

"Yeah and you forgot the part where I try not to think about the fact that in a couple of days I'm going to get killed in order to appease these stupid ancestors."

"You're going to come back. I'm going to make sure you come back. If there was the slightest chance of you actually being hurt do you think Marcel or I would let you go through with this?"

"No…" He was right, they always protected her sometimes to the point where she felt like if they could change the weather patterns they would make sure that rain never fell too roughly and that the sun never shined too brightly. "Promise me I'm not going to die." She bit her bottom lip gently as she tried to force herself to believe that everything was going to be okay. It was difficult to find refuge in the words of encouragement that were offered to her. No one knew what was going to happen to her once she was offered to the ancestors, coming back wasn't guaranteed. They all came back because of the generosity of their ancestors but what if they decided she wasn't worthy of coming back. What if they decided that her life only resulted in bringing danger and havoc onto the other families? "Promise me."

"I promise you that you're going to come back to your family. I'm going to be right by your side the moment you wake up okay?" Thierry placed his cool digits against her golden neck before pulling the witch to his frame; he locked his gaze against her ochre hues and wished that he could take away the uncertainty that lingered beneath her expression. "I will always protect you." He placed a kiss against her forehead and allowed the soft scent of rose petals that lingered across her skin to fill his senses. "You should start making your way to the party. The other witches are probably already there."

"You're right, Sophie's probably about to send out a search party to find me." Mia made her way to the antique dresser and picked up the small silver cufflinks that were placed inside a velvet case. They felt cold against the tips of her fingers as she analyzed the intricate details that had been carved against the metal. "Come here." Thierry extended his right arm out to her as he watched her furrow her eyebrows as she clasped the tiny metal contraptions in place. "I have to admit, you clean up nice for being an old guy." Thierry could see her chest rise and fall against the laugh that escaped her lips.

"You're hilarious." Thierry buttoned his dinner jacket before entwining his fingertips with hers. "Let's get you to your party."

* * *

Walking down the veranda Mia couldn't help but feel smaller than life. Several of the pairs of eyes that looked back at her were bordered by the mask that shielded their true identity. The round tables were placed against the outer edges of the terrace allowing the center of the room to be used for dancing and mingling. All the details were in perfectly coordinated shades of autumn that produced a false sense of warmth and family throughout the room that was in actuality filled with a mass of strangers. Marcel was in the corner of the room drowning in conversation with a tall blonde figure that had a serious expression across her face, Seth was hand in hand with Dahlia and Sophie was beginning to give each of the young witches a delicate silver chain that had a small ruby in the middle.

The feeling of loneliness was heightened as she looked at the stream of people that were making their way to her. Their embraces were stiff and the sweet comments they whispered in her ear seemed forced and over rehearsed. _You just need to keep it together. Smile and be gracious, these people don't want to be around you anymore than you want to be around them._ Mia felt a hand slither around her waist, the feel of Thierry's embrace hushed the stream of voices in her mind momentarily. "Mia needs to make her way to Sophie, you guys can finish giving her your messages to the ancestors throughout the night." Looking up at the man that towered over her petite frame she felt thankful for his presence. He had the ability to gauge her emotions and settle the turmoil that was building up inside her before she was able to even register what was happening.

Thierry clasped her hand tightly and led the raven haired witch to the nearest empty table. "I thought we were going to Sophie." Mia watched as the other five witches that were being sacrificed during the harvest were dancing together in the center of the dance floor, their loud laughter's echoed in her ears as she watched them twirl repeatedly.

"You're going to stay here and I'm going to go see what Sophie needs unless you want to run into your five best friends over there."

"Oh god, don't even mention them. They hate me just like everyone else in this entire room except they don't try to hide it." Mia crossed her legs and began playing with one of the pearl beads that was sewn on her dress.

"No one in this town hates you." Thierry placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I'll be right back."

"I'll just be here." She uttered beneath her breath as she watched him melt into the crowd. Placing the folded napkin onto the plate beside her she began to scan the room. Mia caught Seth's gaze between dances with Dahlia, he wrapped his hand tightly around her waist as they danced rhythmically to the music that was blasting through the speakers. _You really know how to pick them don't you?_ She shook her head repeatedly before clenching her fist tightly. They both knew how to hurt each other and they did so repeatedly yet it felt like sometimes Seth chose to jab her heart on purpose. He always produced a response in the young witch leading her to come crawling back and apologizing for something she had never meant to do in the first place. _What the hell is with him?_

She pulled her angered gaze away from Seth and Dahlia and forced herself to focus on the opposite end of the dance floor. Everyone looked like they were having the time of their lives, their smiles were permanently sewn against their lips and laughter could be heard above the music that was constantly being played. For a moment she couldn't help but wish that she belonged among this group of people. She was an outsider, someone who would never belong no matter how hard she tried and the people of the town did everything possible to let her know that she was unwanted. Casting her orbs across the various dyads that were swaying to the music she couldn't help but focus on a tall brunette man. As though feeling her intense stare he turned in her direction and nodded and she couldn't help but smile sheepishly in return. The man pulled away from his beautiful red headed dance partner and walked over to Mia. "Would you allow me a dance Miss Gerard?" He took her right hand in his and smiled.

"Ummm…" She felt the urge to pull her hand away but Sophie's voice echoed in her ears, _if you want to please the ancestors you need to gain the affection of the people in this town._ "Sure." She smiled softly and allowed the male figure to guide her to the dance floor.

They stood in the middle of the floor a few moments, his orbs locked intently against her golden frame. He made no attempt to pull her frame closer to his, he just stood as though in awe that she was actually standing inches away from his grasp. The young witch bit her bottom lip as she decided it was up to her to take the initiative. Stepping closer to him she placed her hand against the palm of his hand and allowed her digits to slowly fill the empty spaces between his. She placed her right hand on his upper arm and waited anxiously for him to finally do something, a part of her felt like he was going to laugh at her in any moment for having been so gullible in believing that someone other than her father or Thierry had actually wanted to dance with her. "You know what, we don't have to do this. You should just go back to your date it looked like you were enjoying yourself more with her." Allowing her hand to slide off of his arm she settled her gaze onto the floor as she considered the easiest way to escape to her bedroom without anyone noticing.

The feel of his left hand settling against the small of her back brought the young witch back to reality. "She was rather boring. I'd prefer to dance with you."

He began to guide her deeper into the sea of couples, "I uh- I didn't catch your name."

A smirk formed against the corner of his lips. "I'm Kol."

_Do you have a last name Kol? _"I'm Mia, but it looks like you already knew that." The music transitioned into a slower rhythm and Mia watched as the pairings inched closer to one another as flints of affection filled their orbs. _I want that. _She wanted to know what it felt like to be filled with love. It wasn't like there was no love in her life but she was constantly reminded that there was something missing in her life. Her life was missing a family, the only thing that would make her feel complete would be knowing where she came from, knowing whose blood was coursing through her veins.

"You look unhappy." The accent beneath his words almost softened the intensity behind his statement.

"I'm not. Haven't you heard? I'm getting killed in a few days…I'm the happiest girl in the world."

He laughed softly beneath his breath as he slid his hand from the small of her back and twirled the young witch in one swift motion. "You're right. I guess your look of excitement and sadness is one and the same."

The long trail of beading rattled against the floor as she spun steadily. In that moment she couldn't help but laugh at the feel of weightlessness that traveled across her frame. "I'm a master of disguise." Mia couldn't hold back a small smile as she pulled away the strands of hair that had become plastered against her lips with her previous movements. "So, what's your message to your ancestors?"

"I don't have one."

Mia felt his cool breath against her neck as he spoke, "You don't have one?" She pulled away slightly before settling her gaze against his ochre hues. There was something so familiar in the way he stared back at her that for a moment she couldn't help but feel a sense of home. "Then umm…why are dancing with me?" Mia pressed her hand against his upper chest as she pushed her slender frame away from his hold.

"Are people only allowed to dance with you if they need to deliver a message to their dead relatives?" Kol cocked his head to the side as he watched his young niece settle her gaze momentarily on the ground. He could feel the turmoil that was rattling within her mind as she placed her left hand against here décolletage.

"No…its just-" In that moment she realized how stupid she sounded. She sounded like a little kid who was finally chosen first to a team during physical education and didn't know how to cope with not having been their last choice. "…then why would you want to dance with me? No one here makes any contact with me unless they have to." Mia bit the inside of her cheek as the faint sound of Seth's laughter filled her ears. "I'm gonna go…thanks for the dance." Picking up the beaded length of satin fabric she made her way through the endless sea of couples that were oblivious to her presence. She felt like she couldn't get off of that dance floor quick enough, every second that passed making her feel unsteady.

* * *

The sound of Mia's laughter echoed in his ears. He watched as Kol twirled the raven haired witch around before pressing her against his body, his hand never straying far from the small of Mia's back. "He won't hurt her Elijah. He may be maniacal but he'd never hurt that girl." Rebekah walked over to Elijah, interlacing her arm with his before lifting her gaze to meet her older brother's stare.

"What do you want sister?"Settling her head against her brother's arm she watched as their youngest brother twirled their niece on the dance floor.

"You wish you were the one parading around with her down there don't you?"

Elijah could feel the judgment behind her words, "I'm showing the same concern I'd show if Kol were looking at any other person like they were his prey."

"No you're showing the same concern you'd show for Hayley if Klaus were the one pressed against her." Rebekah ran her slender digits through the sea of waves that cascaded down her back. "You need to reign yourself in Elijah. She's not your child, you need to accept that. You of all people should know how Klaus gets when you infiltrate his territory, especially when it involves his child." A faint smile crept onto her lips at the sound of the velvet laugh that escaped the young witch.

"My job is simply to make sure she doesn't get hurt."

"She's our family Elijah! Do you truly believe Klaus would hurt his own child? She's the only thing keeping him from tearing Marcel apart limb from limb." Rebekah tapped the palm of her hand against the cool metal railing before taking several steps back. "I'm going to go join the party."

Elijah pulled his sister towards him, causing the train of her black dress to wrap tightly against her lower legs. "I know my place. I'm not going to hurt Niklaus…not again."

"Then you might want to wipe the fatherly gaze you use whenever you look at her. She's not yours Elijah, no matter how much you wish she were she never will be. The sooner you accept that the better off we'll all be." Patting Elijah's chest softly Rebkah began her ascent down the spiraling staircase.

Elijah tightened his hold on the metal railing before returning to watch his niece. Rebekah was right, every time he looked at the young witch the thoughts of Hayley infiltrated his mind. She was Hayley all over again, he was playing a dangerous game and in the end the only one that would end up hurt would be the person he was so adamant in protecting, Mia.


End file.
